Is This The End For Kirby Dach In Montreal? What's Next For The Canadiens Forward

It's never nice to see things pan out like this, but hockey can be a cruel game sometimes. If the chatter around the Bell Centre is anything to go by, we might have already seen Kirby Dach pull on the iconic red, white and blue for the very last time. For a player who was meant to be a key piece of this rebuild, that's a particularly bitter pill for Habs fans to swallow.

Let's be honest for a moment—when Kent Hughes worked that trade with the Blackhawks back in 2022, sending Alexander Romanov to the Islanders to flip the picks for Kirby Dach, the whole city was talking. We were getting a former third-overall pick with size, silky hands, and a point to prove. Someone who could grow alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, giving Montreal a genuine one-two punch down the middle for the next decade. And at times, it really clicked. Remember that chemistry with Caufield early last season? It was electric.

Injury Setbacks Just Wouldn't Let Up

But then came that knee injury in 2023, the one that wiped out almost his entire season. You could see the effect in his game this year—a bit of hesitation, that half-yard of pace missing. Kirby Dach battled hard to get back, but an injury-hit season limited how much he could really influence games. He'd show flashes of that elite skill, gliding through the neutral zone, then go quiet for periods. In a market like Montreal, patience is a virtue, but it's also a luxury. When you're icing a team still searching for its identity, every player's future is under the microscope.

The Numbers Game and Salary Cap Pressure

This is where it gets complicated. Kirby Dach is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights coming up this summer, fresh off a bridge deal. He's due for a pay bump—nothing massive given the tough year, but enough to make Kent Hughes think carefully. With Kirby Dach in the lineup, the top six feels a bit crowded, especially with prospects like Owen Beck and Joshua Roy knocking on the door, ready to step in on cheap entry-level contracts. The front office has a decision to make: do you back Kirby Dach's potential, or do you switch things up, free up some cap space, and address a need on defence or in goal?

And let's not beat around the bush—the rumour mill has been working overtime. You hear his name come up in hypotheticals for a top-four left-shot defenceman, or maybe as part of a package for a proven goal-scorer. Kirby Dach, at 25 years old, still holds serious value around the league. General managers look at that frame, that draft pedigree, and think, "Maybe a fresh start is what he needs to unlock that 70-point potential."

What Would It Look Like If He Left Montreal?

If this really is the end, it's a bittersweet one. No playoff farewell, no tribute video—just the quiet hum of speculation in mid-March. Here's what the Canadiens would be losing:

• The Playmaking Center: When Kirby Dach is on form, he's a force entering the zone, creating space for his wingers like few others in this squad.
• The Physical Presence: At 6'4", he uses his body well and can be a real handful along the boards—something the Habs sometimes lack.
• The Untapped Potential: We haven't seen the absolute best of Kirby Dach yet. Trading him means betting he won't reach it somewhere else—and then watching him possibly thrive.

On the flip side, moving on would send a clear message about the direction: Martin St-Louis wants speed, tenacity, and consistency shift after shift. It would open up a permanent spot for a younger, more affordable player and give Hughes the assets to make another significant move this summer.

Having covered this team for a while, I know that in Montreal, every player is replaceable in the grand scheme of things, but some exits just hit differently. Kirby Dach was more than just a player; he was a project, a comeback story we all bought into. If he has played his last game in the bleu-blanc-rouge, I'll remember the flashes of brilliance and hope he finally puts it all together—even if it's elsewhere. The business side of hockey can be cold like that.